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Around the Mitten 2015

Recently Rich and I embarked on a big adventure: bringing our new-to-us boat from a marina in St. Clair Shores, Michigan to our lakehouse in Spring Lake – a trip around the Mitten State that totaled nearly 400 nautical miles.

Captain Rich with his new boat right after we did the sea trial.

When we first looked at the boat, a 2000 Carver 404, it was in the middle of January and boating season seemed like it was a million miles away. The sea trial was scheduled for a Saturday morning in April, so we slept on the boat the night before. We both slept well and were excited about the idea of spending many more overnights on this boat than we did on our old one. The morning of the sea trial was bitterly cold and gusty – challenging circumstances for Rich to try driving his new boat for the first time. It all went fairly well though and got us excited for our big solo excursion.

The night before our big trip.

The morning of our departure was a foggy one and we were delayed by a couple of hours. Finally it lifted enough for us to be able to leave the marina, and it turned out to be a nice sunny day. The trip through the St. Clair River was uneventful, and after we passed under the Bluewater Bridge, we were treated to a breathtaking view of the clear, calm, deep blue waters of Lake Huron.

Entering into Lake Huron. I felt like we were on a space ship launching into outer space.

Our first day, Thursday, turned out to be the only day I was able to work on my tan. I discovered that the aft deck is a heavenly place to lie in the sun, especially with a glass of wine nearby and jazz playing in my headphones.

My pale, dry Michigan legs are in desperate need of a tan.

We spent the evening in Harrisville Harbor. Rich had made reservations for our two ports of call and because it was such a slow time of year, he was able to call ahead and get help from the harbormaster, greatly reducing the stress for the first mate (especially considering that my sole boating skill consists of doing the splits when jumping onto the dock to tie off the spring line). The harbormaster recommended a pub that was in walking distance from the harbor, and we had a relaxing meal there. Harrisville is a nice little town but quiet. Quite different from the resort towns on the west side of the state, which are thriving and filled with quaint boutiques and eateries.

On the bow of the Just Like Heaven in our first port of call.

Beautiful sunrise in Harrisville.

The next morning Captain Rich let me take a quick shower at the marina, and we hit the water right around 7:30 a.m. We saw a beautiful sunrise, but the day clouded over quickly and got chilly. I was a little disappointed that the sun wasn’t shining when we passed under the mighty Mackinac Bridge, but at least it wasn’t raining.

This sight never gets old. The stunning Mackinac Bridge.

Shortly after we made it into Lake Michigan, the water became extremely choppy and fog rolled in. It was a pretty hairy ride for a while. But when we stopped in Harbor Springs for fuel, everything seemed to calm down and the sun was out so we decided to push on to Leland where we had a reservation for a slip.

Stopping for fuel in Harbor Springs. There was still ice in the marina!

Unfortunately the fog and rough water came back and the ride into Leland was another nail biter (for me anyway – Rich handled it all like a pro). We couldn’t even see shore until we were almost right on top of it. But the harbormaster was waiting to help us so docking was fine, and we enjoyed a fun evening with our friends Jeff and Norma who came over from their cottage in Traverse City.

Both of us are sporting some serious boat hair, but we were extremely pleased to have made it safely to our second overnight port of call.

Saturday, home stretch day! The weather was pretty miserable – drizzly and really cold. We showered quickly and I picked up breakfast sandwiches from a nearby diner, then we set out. The water was rough again – not choppy but big rollers – and again we had fog. At one point Rich had me take the helm while he went to check some stuff below. I was nervous and it gave me a new respect for his captaining abilities. The fog continued to thicken and by the time we got to the Grand Haven channel, it was like pea soup. Fortunately, there were very few boats in the channel, and Rich’s keen navigating skills prevented us from colliding with anyone.

Me at the helm

We had to call ahead to have the Spring Lake drawbridge lifted and while we waited, we idled and drank a glass of wine together. We were both elated and considered the trip a complete success! I was also extremely proud of my fiance for his adroit handling of his new boat, how quickly he learned all the equipment including the radar, and how well he navigated some seriously rough waters. All in two and a half days to boot. This was no small feat!

Success!! Back in familiar waters, he’s finally able to relax.

Drawbridge into Spring Lake. We’re still not sure if we need to have it raised for us to pass under, but we didn’t want to take any chances the first time.

We were so happy when we finally rounded the corner into our beloved Laguna Bayou.

Laguna Bayou – a welcome sight!

Docking at the dock at the lakehouse was a piece of cake. The boat looks beautiful in her home slip!

The Just Like Heaven in her home slip. The old Rinker looks dwarfed in comparison.

A few things I learned:

Even though the boat’s bathrooms (in particular the master bath) are nicely sized, it’s much easier to take a shower in marina bathrooms.

On such a big boat, it’s hard for the first mate to be of much assistance to the captain. Doing the splits between this boat and a dock would probably send me to the hospital!

Preparing meals when you’re cruising, even on a big boat, is challenging, and you probably won’t end up doing much. It’s much easier to bring stuff that’s pre-made (and easy to eat) or to buy prepared food onshore to eat while cruising.

Sleeping on a boat is heavenly.

Most wine glasses don’t fit in the cup holders.

So that’s the story of our 2015 Pure Michigan Around the Mitten trip. All in all it went like clockwork, and we can’t wait to take the Just Like Heaven on many more adventures.